9.6 The Maltese Woman in Australia

Although for a long time there were far more male migrants than women, the latest census shows that there are now roughly equal numbers of males and females in Australia.

One outstanding finding is the fact that the vast majority of Maltese born women are not to be found in the work-force - there are only 30% as many women as men only 1/3 employed in the workforce. This implies that the majority of housewives either prefer or are obliged to stay at home.

It is unfortunate that while the proportion of Maltese male trade apprentices is much higher than the average, this however does not hold for females.

These characteristics appear to hold for women in Australia in general but apply with particular force to Maltese women. Moreover, there is evidence that they are being transmitted to the second generation who appear to approximate to their parents in terms of educational achievement and type of jobs obtained.

A re-orientation of the Psychological make-up and expectations would be a tremendous task. It would require a detailed examination of the underlying Psychology and motivation through extensive interview and discussion. It would then have to be followed up by an extensive advertising campaign to correct misconceptions and replace these by Positive concepts relating to the pursuit of excellence in various fields of endeavour.

Source: Maurice N. Cauchi - Maltese Migrants in Australia, Malta 1990

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